Who owns the trademarks for Best In Class Education Center?
Best_In_Class_Education_Center Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Our affiliate HL Media, LLC ("HL Media") owns the following trademark that has been registered on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office:
On April 11, 2025, we entered into an Intellectual Property License Agreement with HL Media (the "License Agreement"). Under the terms of the License Agreement, HL Media granted us the right to use and sublicense the Marks to our franchisees. The initial term of the License Agreement is 5 years, and then automatically renews for additional 5-year renewal terms unless terminated in accordance with its terms. HL Media may terminate the License Agreement only if we: (a) declare bankruptcy or become insolvent; (b) breach HL Media's quality control standards and fail to cure the breach within a 60-day cure period; or (c) consent to the termination. If the License Agreement is terminated, it states all sublicenses granted by us to our franchisees will continue in full force and effect until the expiration or termination of the applicable franchise agreement. No other agreements limit our right to use or sublicense use of the Marks.
Source: Item 13 — TRADEMARKS (FDD pages 34–35)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the trademark for Best In Class Education Center is owned by HL Media, LLC, which is identified as an affiliate of the franchisor. Best In Class Education Center has secured the right to use and sublicense these trademarks to its franchisees through an Intellectual Property License Agreement with HL Media, entered into on April 11, 2025.
The License Agreement has an initial term of 5 years and automatically renews for additional 5-year terms unless terminated. HL Media can only terminate the agreement if Best In Class Education Center declares bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, breaches HL Media's quality control standards without rectifying the breach within 60 days, or consents to the termination. Importantly, the FDD states that if the License Agreement is terminated, all sublicenses granted to franchisees will remain effective until the expiration or termination of the individual franchise agreements.
This arrangement means that while Best In Class Education Center franchisees do not directly own the trademarks, they are granted the right to use them under the terms of their franchise agreement and the overarching License Agreement between Best In Class Education Center and HL Media. This setup is fairly common in franchising, where a parent company or affiliate retains ownership of the brand's intellectual property and licenses it to franchisees. Prospective franchisees should be aware of the conditions under which the License Agreement could be terminated, although the FDD provides assurance that their sublicense would continue even if the main agreement is terminated.